Apparatus for cooling and purifying liquids



(ModeL) 0. w. SWIFT. APPARATUS FOR COOLING AND PURIPYING LIQUIDS.

N0. 605,685. Patented June 14, 1898.

Attorney PATENT- Cl rion.

ORRIN W. SWIFT, OF NEVIT HAVEN, CONNECTICUT.

APPARATUS FOR COOLING AND PURIFYING LIQUIDS..

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 605,685, dated June 14,1898.

' Application filed July 16, 1897. Serial No. 644,762. (ModeL) To allwhom it may concern: 1

Be it known that I, ORRIN W. SWIFT, a citi zen of the United States,residing at New Haven, in the county of New Haven and State ofConnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inApparatus for Cooling and Purifying Liquids; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the-art to which'it appertains tomake and use the same. 1

My invention relates to apparatus for cooling and purifying liquids; andit has for its object to provide a' simple and comparatively inexpensiveform of apparatus by which liq uids can be transferred from" onereceptacle to another and during such transit reduced to an atomized orspray form, whereby any heat in the liquidas, for example, the animalheat in milk-is eliminated.

A further object is to provide such apparatus with means whereby theliquid while in atomized or spray form is 'subje'ct'edto the action of acurrent of electricity, thereby eliminating therefrom many impuritiesand aging the liquid.

To these ends my invention consists in the apparatus constructed andoperating as hereinafter fully described.

Referring to the drawings, in which'like numerals designate like partsin both views, Figure 1 is a side view of the apparatus as applied intransferring liquid from one barrel to another and at the same timepurifying the same. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the apparatus drawnto a larger scale.

In the practice of my invention I employ a chamber through which theliquid is caused to pass and within which it is reduced to-an atomizedor. spray form, and I have herein shown such chamber as being ofcylindrical form, its body-1 being preferably composed of'glass toenable the action of the liquid tight andare held in such position bythe bolts 4 and nuts 5. Through the upper head 2 of the chamber leadsthe inlet-pipe 6, which pipe terminates at its lower end within and atthe upper end of the chamber in the spraying-head or atomizer-7,consisting of a cupshaped body having its upper side pierced with smallholes, through whichthe liquid is caused to issue'in aseries of finejets or sprays, passing insuch form to the bottom of the chamber.Through the lower head 3 of the chamber passes the outlet-pipe 8,-wliiohcontains a suitable valve 9. A waste-pipe 10 leads from the bottom ofthe atomizer 7 through the lower head 3 and communicates with apipe 12,containing a'valve 13," and a pipe 1% connects'said pipe 12 with asuitable closed vessel 15, which receives the sediment and heavierimpurities removed from the liquid, as will be presently described. Theupper head 2 of the'chamber is providedwith the petcock 16, throughwhich air can be exhausted from the chamber and through which the vaporand gases freedfrom the liquid are permitted to escape. A pipe 17 joinsthe inlet-pipe 6 by a bend, as shown, and forms the short leg of asiphon, and a pipe 18, forming a continuation of the outlet-pipe 8,together with the atomizing-chamber, forms the long leg of such siphon.f

The apparatus as thus far describedis adapted to be used for cooling andpurifying liquids, and its operation is as follows: The pipe 17 beinginserted within the vessel containing the liquid and the pipe 18 withinthe empty vessel and valves 9 and 13 being closed,

the air is exhausted from chamber 1 through the petcock 16, therebycausing-the liquid'to flow through pipes 17 and 6 to the atomizer 7 andthence upwardly through the jet-openings in the latter, in'the form of aseries of fine jets or sprays, to the chamber, filling the latter.Valves 9 and 13 are then opened and the liquid begins to flow throughpipes 8 and 18 to the receiving vessel, such flow being continuous bythe siphonic action until all of the liquid has been transferred fromthe full to the empty vessel. After opening'said valves 9 and 13, asjust described, sufficient air is admitted to the chamber 1 throughpetcock 16 to depress the level of the body of liquid within saidchamber to any desired point between the atomizer and the bottom of thechamber, preferably to a point substantially one-fourth the height ofthe chamber above said bottom, and the liquid during the remainder ofthe operation falls from the atomizer to the liquid-level in the chamberin jet or spray form, the air-pressure keeping said level constantwithout interrupting the siphonic action. At the same time a portion ofthe liquid passes through waste-pipe 10 and pipes 12 and it to theclosed vessel 15 and fills the latter. The action of the atomizer uponthe liquid quickly cools the latter, while the heavier portions of anyimpurities which it may contain fall by gravity to the bottom of theatomizer and pass thence through the still body of liquid in pipes 10,

2, and ii to the vessel 15, from which they may be readily removed atthe close of the operation.

While the apparatus, operating as thus described, is of great importancefor quickly cooling and purifying such liquids as milk, for example, Ihave found that its range of usefulness can be greatly increased byproviding means for subjecting the liquid while in atomized form withinthe chamber to the action of a current of electricity, whereby certaindeleterious ingredients of various kinds of liquidsas, for example, thefuseloil in alcohol liquids-are to a very large extent eliminatedtherefrom, and the process of aging the liquor is very greatlyexpedited. As one of the various forms of means for securing this resultwhich can be employed I have herein shown a binding-post 19, extendingthrough the upper head 2 of chamber 1, but insulated therefrom, saidpost carrying at its lower end a flat ring of any suitable metal forminga good conductor of electricity, which encircles the atomizer 7 belowthe plane of the j et-openings in the latter, and a similar insulatedbinding-post 21, extending through the lower head 3 and carrying at itsupper end, near the bottom of the chamber, a similar flat ring 22. Awire 23 connects binding-post 19 with one pole of a generator, and awire 24: connects binding-post 21 with the opposite pole of saidgenerator. A normally open circuit is thus established, which circuit isclosed by the body of liquid at the bottom of the chamber and thedescending column of liquid, in jet or spray form, extending from thelevel of said body to the contactring 20, thus thoroughly subjecting allof the liquid to the action of the electric current. In the use of theapparatus for thus purifying and aging liquors the short leg of thesiphon is inserted in abarrel 25 or other vessel containing the liquor,and the long leg thereof is inserted in the empty barrel 26, and theliquor is transferred to the latter by siphonic action, as beforedescribed. In its passage through the chamber 1 the liquor is atomizedand mechanically purified, as previously described, and, in addition, iselectricall y purified and aged by the action of the electric current,the gases thus released being permitted to escape from time to timethrough the petcock 16.

In order to adapt the apparatus for use in blending or mixing twodifferent liquids simultaneously with the purifying operation, I haveshown in Fig. 2 a bench-pipe 27, communicating with the inlet pipe 0,which branch pipe m ay lead from any suitable source of supply for thesecond liquid, and thus materially increase the useful capacity of theapparatus.

It has been found by actual demonstration that by the use of theapparatus herein shown and described alcoholic liquors can be quicklypurified and aged without reducing to any appreciable extent theirpercentage of alcohol, thus obviating what has heretofore been a longand expensive operation.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an apparatus for the purpose specified, the combination with achamber having means whereby air can be exhausted therefrom and havingan outlet-pipe leading therefrom, of a hollow head located within saidchamber near the top thereof and provided with a series of jet or sprayopenings, an inlet-pipe leading to said head, a contact device locatedadjacent to said head and adapted to be engaged by a liquid issuing fromthe latter, a second contact device located near the bottom of saidchamber, and means for connecting said contact devices respectively withthe opposite poles of a generator of electricity, said inlet-pipeforming the short leg and said chamber and its outlet-pipe the long legof a siphon, substantially as set forth.

2. In an apparatus for the purpose specified, the combination with aclosed chamber having means whereby air can be exhausted therefrom andadmitted thereto, of an outletpipe leading from the bottom of saidchamber and provided with a valve, a spray-head located within saidchamber near the top thereof, an inlet-pipe leading to the interior ofsaid spray-head, said inlet-pipe forming the short leg and said chamberand outlet-pipe forming the long leg of a siphon, and means for subjecting a liquid, in its descent from said sprayhead to the bottom of thechamber, to the action of a current of electricity, substantially as setforth.

3. In an apparatus for the purpose specified, the combination with aclosed chamber provided with a valve through which the air can beexhausted therefrom, an outlet-pipe leading from the bottom of saidchamber and provided with a valve, a hollow head located within saidchamber and havingin its upper side a series of jet or spray openings, asediment-pipe leading from the bottom of said head through the wall ofsaid chamber and provided with a valve, a bent inlet-pipe leadin g tosaid hollow head and forming the short leg of a siphon, two contact-rings located within said chamber between said hollow head and the bottomof the latter, and means for con- ICS mating said rings respectivelywith the opposite poles of a generator of electricity, substantially asdescribed.

4. The combination with a chamber, as 1, of an atomizer, as 7, locatedWithin said chamber near the top thereof, an outlet-pipe leading fromthe bottom of the chamber, an inletpipe leading to said atomizer, theinsulated binding-post 19 passing through the upper head of the chamberand carrying at its lower end a contact device, as the ring 20, and theinsulated bindingpost 21 passing through the lower head of said chamberand carrying at its upper end a contact device, as the ring 22, saidinlet-pipe forming the short leg and said chamber and its outlet-pipeforming the long leg of a siphon, substantially as and for the purposedescribed.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

ORRIN W. SWIFT.

Witnesses:

WM. H. CHAPMAN, J. P. DEJON.

